Calochortus striatus
A bulb-forming perennial herb in the Liliaceae native to California and Nevada, bearing white to purple flowers on branched stems in spring in alkaline meadows and creosote scrub, reaching up to about 20 inches tall, and threatened by urbanization and grazing.
Common Names
Alkali Mariposa Lily, Mariposa Lily
Summary
An alkali mariposa-lily is native to California and Nevada, including the Mojave Desert, where it grows in alkaline meadows and wetland-riparian habitats. It is a bulbous perennial herb with a short stem (1–5 cm) and a long basal leaf, bearing an umbel-like inflorescence of 1–5 erect bell-shaped flowers; petals range white to lavender with purple veins, the cup near the nectary sparsely hairy, and the fruit is a capsule up to 4–5 cm long.
It grows in full sun with low to very low water once established, preferring alkaline soils and dry summers; suitable for desert gardens or native plant settings and valued for its spring-to-summer bloom in landscape plantings (Apr–Jun).
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
1/2-2 inches
Spread
1-3 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 9a-10b
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun.
Soil Type
Alkaline, gritty soil
Soil Drainage
Well-drained
Soil pH
Alkaline soils (pH > 7)
Bloom Color
Pink, White, Purple, Lavender
Bloom Time
Spring to Summer
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Green, Yellow
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Parish
- Publication
- Bull. S. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 112 (1902)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Liliales
- Family
- Liliaceae
- Genus
- Calochortus